Why Does a Farmer Fertilize, and Rotate his Crops? ~ Why is Director Training is So Essential for ESG, – But Especially in Japan?

Farmers fertilize their plots of land and sequentially rotate the crops they plant on them. They do this to improve soil health, optimize nutrients in the soil, and combat pest and weed pressures. Investors should take a cue, to improve the quality of the “land” from which they grow profits, – in other words, the […]

Kay Group K.K. – The Need for Open and Frank Conversations at Board Level

“We are still way too polite with each other.” A repeated statement when Chief Executives describe their boards in Japan. Why is this a problem for Executives? Why do we, as coaches, hear this statement repeatedly?

The Board’s Responsibilities

Boards are responsible and held accountable for the decisions they are making. Hence, the quality of the decision-making process and the decisions themselves are fundamental to the work of boards, their organizations, and the investors. When board members are too polite with each other, they don’t have so-called healthy debates. Why do these debates improve the quality of decisions? Because they invite board members to share their professional opinions.

METRICAL:CG Stock Performance: February 2021

February stocks edged lower with a sharp decline. CG Top 20 stocks underperformed Topix and JPX400 during the month.

In February, the stock market immediately made up for the plunge at the end of the previous month, with the Nikkei 225 index getting off to a strong start, reaching the 30,000-yen level for the first time in 30 years. However, the stocks edged lower with a sharp decline on the last day of the month, due to a plunge in U.S. stocks, especially technology stocks, on concerns about rising U.S. Treasury yields.
CG Top 20 CG rose 1.61% during the month, while Topix and JPX400 indices gained 3.17% and 2.91%, respectively. Cumulative performance of CG Top 20 Stocks continued to outperform significantly as shown in the chart below.